McCain Looks Ahead

60 Minutes' Scott Pelley Interviews The Presumptive GOP Presidential Candidate

(CBS)  Foreign policy is McCain's specialty, but at least for now most voters say they worry about the economy.

"Back in 1992, Bill Clinton had a sign hanging in his campaign war room, a pretty famous sign. Do you recall what it said?" Pelley asked.

"It's the economy, stupid. Yes," McCain replied.

"Everywhere we went in Texas with you it was about the war and foreign policy and I wondered in those town hall meetings if you had an understanding of how concerned people are about the economy, about whether they can keep their homes, about whether they can keep their jobs?" Pelley asked.

"Look, these are tough times. These are very tough times," McCain said.

Asked how he would characterize the mortgage mess, McCain said, "I think it’s a disaster, but let me hasten to add, Scott, I think the fundamentals of our economy are still strong."

"What do you do for the person who just saw gasoline go from three and a quarter to three fifty on its way to $4?" Pelley asked.

"I would love to tell you that I have an immediate answer for that. And I don't. The only way we are going to fix it is to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil. We've got to have a crash program, a all out effort," McCain said. "But, I can't give you straight talk and tell you that tomorrow I can change the price of a gallon of gas."

On taxes, McCain voted against the Bush tax cuts originally; now he wants to make them permanent. But he says his own party has let spending go wildly out of control.

"Senator Clinton says that providing universal healthcare is quote 'a moral responsibility.' Do you agree?" Pelley asked.

"Well, I think that's one of the big differences we have about the role of government. If you think that the government should mandate anything to the American people than besides a safety net, and I don't view it as a safety net. I view Medicare and Medicaid as a safety net," McCain said. "But to mandate that all Americans are required to do something then that's just not within the fundamental philosophy that I have about the role of government in America."

Instead of government insurance, McCain proposes a $5,000 tax credit so families can buy insurance of their own.

On immigration, he says that the borders should be secured first but, despite criticism from conservatives, he told 60 Minutes this about illegal immigrants: "If they complied with some very stringent and rigid requirements, they could find themselves on a path to citizenship."

On Capitol Hill he gets credit for reaching out to Democrats on big issues like immigration and campaign finance reform. But his fellow politicians are critical of his high minded condemnation of money in politics.

"You point your finger at other senators and claim that there is a culture of corruption on Capitol Hill. But you take money from lobbyists who have business before your committee as other senators do. So, how is it that you call the system corrupt?" Pelley asked.

"Well, one of the reasons why I call the system corrupt is because we have members of Congress who are in jail, who are former members of Congress. But it’s not the individuals, it's the system we have today. I believe that I serve with honorable men and women. And I believe that the people who bring their case to government, the overwhelming majority of them are honorable people," McCain said.

"The lobbyists?" Pelley asked.

"Retirees have a lobbyist. Firemen have a lobbyist. Your business has a lot of lobbyists," McCain said.

McCain claims he’s never done a favor for money. He believes he’s being held to a higher standard because of his criticism.

[khanghi-2009]

President McCain?

God help us all.

[boulderh2o]

I don''t get it. How does someone in this country illegally "hold a job", as McCain would require, and be law abiding at the same time? To hold a job the illegal will have used a false or stolen I.D. Why does McCain think it is acceptable to give a pass to someone who commits identify theft of fraud?

President McCain,President Obama,President Clinton - May God help us in any case!! Not one is any better than the other.They all lie pretty good.McCain has long been trying to help his Democratic buddies to give amnesty to the illegal aliens. Why don''t they look at the last 2 amnesties in the 1980" and the 1990"s and open their eyes and see all the amnesties did was cause more illegals to come here. We presently have far too many American born Citizens living on the streets,in need of homes,food,clothing, JOBS,etc.

[red7471]

Mccain gave the NVA more than just his name, rank, and number as a pow. He crashed his jet and was not shot down.As someone who was in vietnam 66 til 67 on the ground with the 25th ID in Cu Chi I know it dosent make you a war hero sitting out the war for 5&1/2 years in the a prison camp.Mccain just like George Bush was high in the sky he knows nothing about the war on the ground.

[red7471]

I for got to say Mccain has p.t.s.d just like I do.That is why he is auguermentive and grumpy all the time.

[frigatebird]

McCain is the lesser of all evils...Does anyone know what type of watch Scott Pelley was wearing in this interview?

[rsilletto]

Does John McCain hear what he''s saying. How can he say that the government shouldn''t mandate what the American people should do. The government already mandates what we should do -- we have to pay taxes -- for the betterment of the government. Why shouldn''t they mandate that every American deserves to have health insurance. Isn''t that for the betterment of the American public in particular and the government in general. In the end everyone benefits. Healthier Americans equals a healthier America.

[gimmebrea1]

That was the biggest one sided attack hack job I have ever seen! In contrast to the Clinton and Obama segments which discussed their gentle rivalry, believe in change, and obstacle''s as a women and African American, the McCain piece was a CONSTANT attack on EVERY issue, statement etc. I wouldn''t mind this, if 60 minutes stuck to a standard and did it with the Democrats also. I mean give me an $#$% break. Good job Scott. On your leftest agenda.

[dhertz007]

Wow, he is good! He answered the questions that he was ready for and then danced and went off topic and got as far away from answering the questions he didn''t want to. Did you see how well he skipped past that question Scott Pelley asked about taking money from lobbyists. LOL He just mumbled a bunch of garbage and Scott Pelley let him get away with it. This is why the media is falling us...no guts. Praise the reporter that PO''d McCain off the other day.

Did you love his arrogance when Scott confronted him with the fact that Americans are sick of not being listened to and he still had the arrogance to say yes, but I am still right? Geeez, isn''t that what King George has done to us for the past 8 years???!!!!

Did you just love his comments about less government regulation?! Isn''t that why our pet food and children''s toys were dangerous? Isn''t that why we cannot afford health care or prescription drugs? He argued that getting our drugs and supplies from Canada is dangerous because we could not guarantee the safety and yet, he does not care that China is poisoning us.

He is the old school, greasy, talk out of both sides of your mouth politician...nothing more. More sadly, he has really fallen from who he truly was. Now, he is just a man who will do and say anything to get the Presidency. He even proudly smiles and does not care when confronted with it. He just wants to be the big deal, head honcho. No matter what the costs to the average American.

[dhertz007]

Wow, he is good! He answered the questions that he was ready for and then danced and went off topic and got as far away from answering the questions he didn''t want to. Did you see how well he skipped past that question Scott Pelley asked about taking money from lobbyists. LOL He just mumbled a bunch of garbage and Scott Pelley let him get away with it. This is why the media is falling us...no guts. Praise the reporter that PO''d McCain off the other day.

Did you love his arrogance when Scott confronted him with the fact that Americans are sick of not being listened to and he still had the arrogance to say yes, but I am still right? Geeez, isn''t that what King George has done to us for the past 8 years???!!!!

Did you just love his comments about less government regulation?! Isn''t that why our pet food and children''s toys were dangerous? Isn''t that why we cannot afford health care or prescription drugs? He argued that getting our drugs and supplies from Canada is dangerous because we could not guarantee the safety and yet, he does not care that China is poisoning us.

He is the old school, greasy, talk out of both sides of your mouth politician...nothing more. More sadly, he has really fallen from who he truly was. Now, he is just a man who will do and say anything to get the Presidency. He even proudly smiles and does not care when confronted with it. He just wants to be the big deal, head honcho. No matter what the costs to the average American.

[clydeen-2009]

Torture - Pelley asks McCain about torture, McCain responds by saying we prosecuted WWII Japanese for torture - zero follow up. On 2/20/8 McCain said Bush should veto torture ban - this torture survivor refuses to ban it''s use and there''s no follow up ?

this is what a presidential hopeful refuses to ban
http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/multimedia/2008/02/gallery_abu_ghraib?slide=1&slideView=2

play a lot of softball in between assignments Scott?

[mcv57]

McCain blew-it, his temper and dictorial rhertoric will give his changes "0". Then again, I don''t think this racist country is ready for a half-black president. Perhaps Clinton has a chance now.

[smirk5]

***, McCain sure looks old.

[lacolombe]

McCain has a lot of time on his hands... Why doesn''t he assume the average responsibilities of an average American for a couple months with an average salary, medical bills, college bills, mortgage and see how he feels? Naw! He doesn''t have the guts!....Just your typical egocentric politician with all the perks...He has his head and *** in the clouds!!!

[tomtomasters]

In McCains book he repeatedly expresses guilt and disgrace at having broken under torture and given the North Vietnamese a taped confession, broadcast over the camp loudspeakers, saying he was a war criminal who had, among other acts, bombed a school. "I felt faithless and couldn''t control my despair," he writes. He writes, revealing that he made two half-hearted attempts at suicide. Most tellingly, he said he lived in "dread" that his father would find out. "I still wince," he says, "when I recall wondering if my father had heard of my disgrace." Easy to drop bombs and kill thousands of innocent kids, McCain. What gets me is they make you a Hero to run for President but Mai Lai and Colin Powell is tucked away. How about those MIA''s you refuse to look for?

[gimmebrea1]

Obama is WAY cockier than McCain. Hillary Too! Lord help America if they get in. Oh boy.

[gimmebrea1]

Help bout all you liberals stop begging for handouts help, and more welare programs, and GET A JOB!.

[onemas]

McCain takes the worst ideas of the Republicans (endless unwarranted and unprovoked war) and the worst ideas of the Democrats (amnesty for illegal immigrants), and dares to call himself a centrist. I am one independent who will have nothing to do with this vile hypocrite McCain. To vote for McCain would be unbelievably stupid as it would be voting to continue Bush''s policies after 7 years of seeing them as the obvious failures they are. How dumb can the American public get, to even be considering as one of 2 candidates such a thug as McCain?

[tomtomasters]

In McCains book he repeatedly expresses guilt and disgrace at having broken under torture and given the North Vietnamese a taped confession, broadcast over the camp loudspeakers, saying he was a war criminal who had, among other acts, bombed a school. "I felt faithless and couldn''t control my despair," he writes. He writes, revealing that he made two half-hearted attempts at suicide. Most tellingly, he said he lived in "dread" that his father would find out. "I still wince%

[liberalme]

Help bout all you liberals stop begging for handouts help, and more welare programs, and GET A JOB!.
Posted by gimmebrea1 at

Are you related to jwind(bag)11????

[nofearinlove]

I believe everything I am reading. Thank you CBS for the freedom of speech you give to all these posts. It takes determination and guts. Bravo to the best newscast!

[omega39-2009]

McCain Looks Ahead

Lets hope he is looking ahead to retirement because that is exactly where he is heading.

[omega39-2009]

Help bout all you liberals stop begging for handouts help, and more welare programs, and GET A JOB!.
Posted by gimmebrea1 at

How about we stop the endless handouts and welfare to other countries and spend the money here at home?

[gimmebrea1]

Wow. Big surprise. CBS website FULL of lazy liberals. Waaaahhhhhh, gimme more hand outs, wah I need more. I have NOTHING, and started from nothing. And am happy doing it. Stop wining, get jobs, you stupid lazy liberanos.

[gdf140]

60 Minutes coverage of McCain was garbage. Compared to the softball questions they through the Democratic candidates a few weeks ago, that was a slam session.

[gimmebrea1]

You are all so uneducated and naive. It is pointless arguing. Concur or be concord. We should not have gone to Iraq, but backing out and tucking tail is the worst thing we could do. Bush f''ed up. He is an idiot. McCain would have done it right. We leave now this country is done for. And because you lazy liberals sit at home with your free government services and checks, you will be dominated by China. Have fun living in your shell of a country. So sad, stupid Yankees.

[gimmebrea1]

gdf140 I agree 110%. TOTALLY one sided and even all the stupid Democrats here dont even see it. They are so stupid its really sad.

[liberalme]

Wow. Big surprise. CBS website FULL of lazy liberals. Waaaahhhhhh, gimme more hand outs, wah I need more. I have NOTHING, and started from nothing. And am happy doing it. Stop wining, get jobs, you stupid lazy liberanos.
Posted by gimmebrea1 at 08:15 PM : Mar 09, 2008

Hey wind(bag) time for your meds!

[gimmebrea1]

Obama was a ''community organizer'' HA HA HA. Oh yeah, lets let him run the most powerful country in the world. He ran a community after all. HA HA HA HA

[tomtomasters]

In McCains book he repeatedly expresses guilt and disgrace at having broken under torture and given the North Vietnamese a taped confession, broadcast over the camp loudspeakers, saying he was a war criminal who had, among other acts, bombed a school. "I felt faithless and couldn''t control my despair," he writes. He writes, revealing that he made two half-hearted attempts at suicide. Most tellingly, he said he lived in "dread" that his father would find out. "I still wince," he says, "when I recall wondering if my father had heard of my disgrace." Easy to drop bombs and kill thousands of innocent kids, McCain. What gets me is they make you a Hero to run for President but Mai Lai Colin Powell is not supported to run for Preseident. Seems to me his coverup of less innocent people killed would have been a go, over your thousands killed..How about those MIA''s you refuse to look for?

[romperroom2]

I thought the McCain interview was fairly interesting and I learned quite a bit, basically because Pelley stuck to the issues and asked pretty tough questions. It was a world of difference from the pieces done on Obama and Clinton, which were more like "girl talk" and "boy talk" pieces and had little to do with the issues at hand, and were served up only with softball questions. Is there some reason that CBS decided to treat the candidates so differently?

[iceman_1960]

"And if the phone rings at 3:00a.m., I think the American people would want me to answer it first," McCain."
------------------

Especially at 3:00a.m. next November, and it"s an aide telling you he"s drafted a concession speech for your review.

Now get some sleep, Senator McCain.

[apdefilippi]

The Presidential Race - Reading The Tea Leafs - More Questions Than Answers


Sunday, March 09, 2008

By Alexander De Filippi

Alexanderdefilippi.blogspot.com



Common wisdom suggests that divided democrats with an untested type of nominee should not be a match for someone like John McCain. Nevertheless, again, mainstream republicans aren%u2019t feeling good, simply they seem unable to get along with him, or they do not want to get along with him.

Perhaps republicans do not want neither the White House nor recover Congress; perhaps they assume that the next four years the US will face extreme economic turmoil and serious terrorist attacks affecting the biggest cities in the country such as New York, DC and LA. Therefore, it is better for them to see the spectacle from the distance while a democrat president and a democrat congress juggles with one major problem after another. Perhaps republicans see that in four years they would be able to return to power with a candidate of their like and additionally retake congress. Considering this scenario, perhaps the democrats shouldn%u2019t take the White House but let McCain to be the next president, so far appears that John McCain is as a big pain in the butt for republicans as a democrat

[apdefilippi]

The Presidential Race - Reading The Tea Leafs - More Questions Than Answers


Sunday, March 09, 2008

By Alexander De Filippi

Alexanderdefilippi.blogspot.com



Common wisdom suggests that divided democrats with an untested type of nominee should not be a match for someone like John McCain. Nevertheless, again, mainstream republicans aren%u2019t feeling good, simply they seem unable to get along with him, or they do not want to get along with him.

Perhaps republicans do not want neither the White House nor recover Congress; perhaps they assume that the next four years the US will face extreme economic turmoil and serious terrorist attacks affecting the biggest cities in the country such as New York, DC and LA. Therefore, it is better for them to see the spectacle from the distance while a democrat president and a democrat congress juggles with one major problem after another. Perhaps republicans see that in four years they would be able to return to power with a candidate of their like and additionally retake congress. Considering this scenario, perhaps the democrats shouldn%u2019t take the White House but let McCain to be the next president, so far appears that John McCain is as a big pain in the butt for republicans as a democrat

[stevex47]

bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb iran....

McBush lite.

[stevex47]

I hear McCain is going to have Cheney stay on as VP.

[changenow]

Obama was a ''''community organizer'''' HA HA HA. Oh yeah, lets let him run the most powerful country in the world. He ran a community after all. HA HA HA HA
Posted by gimmebrea1 at 08:21 PM : Mar 09, 2008


MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY!! HUMM!! FOR HOW LONG? ARE WE SURE OF THIS STATEMENT?

[cbville-2009]

It''s great to see the Democrats eat each others children to get the nomination. The race between Barack, and Hillary will go on well into the spring/summer, because of the assinine way they give out their delegates. Neither of them has a realistic chance of getting to the amount needed to get the nomination. Which brings us to the "super" delegates. This brings the asinine level to a whole new stratosphere.
They have nobody to blame but themselves when they lose another election.

[miles1967-2009]

McCain does not have the judgment and patience to lead America. He is an ill-informed, myopic, close-minded man who is easily swayed by the bigoted religious right. Check out the result of his BRILLIANT support of the "Surge", not to mention the fatally wrong idea to go to war with Iraq in the first place, and not actually go after the 9/11 terrorists. Check this link out:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/18722376/the_myth_of_the_surge

[danstoned]

Name the US Senator who looked the other way for decades while illegals crossed the border into his state?

John McSame, whos actions speak louder than words, clearly unfit to lead this nation.

[baghdadshere]

Come the first tuesday in November this old war mongering *** will be history.

Posted by jerryomara at 09:19 PM : Mar 09, 2008

jerry,,,You jihadidiot, show some respect when you talk about your next commander-in-chief. Idiot.

[cbville-2009]

How REAL Men hold a primary.

You win....You get the delegates.

You Lose...You don''t

RESULT: The party has a nominee with no questions or accusations. Sounds simple right....see below

How Democrats hold primaries....

You win......You get a "percentage"
You lose.....You get a "percentage"

RESULT: Party argues about who the nominee should be well into the summer. Party argues over whether or not two states who have ALREADY had primaries should be allowed to "count". AHHH Democrats....the people who brought us the designated hitter rule cause it wasn''t "fair" to make the pitcher bat. In the end the party will argue over the Superdelegates.
Great stuff you crybabies

Senator McCain thanks you.

[baghdadshere]

McCain Looks Ahead


We will need an experienced president like McCain. 2009 will be a difficult year. We will have to decide between bomb Iran or allow Ahmadinejad to have its desired nuclear bomb to bomb us.

[iceman_1960]

(Have I mentioned lately that I own cbville ?)

Who do we want answering that red phone at 3 in the morning ?

McCain graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958; he was fifth from the bottom in class rank, 894th out of 899.

Obama graduated from Harvard Law School, the most demanding law school on the planet, in the top 1/5 of his class [magna c*um laude], where he was the first Black President of Harvard Law Review.

This decision is, as they say, a no-brainer.

[danstoned]

Let US all cheer for John McSame for the porous borders in his home state of Arizona, contributing to the 12 million + undocumented workers in the USA.

[iceman_1960]

"We will need an experienced president like McCain."
- Baghdadshere

Then persuade Jimmy Carter to run.

McCain has never been president before.

He"s just a Senator, like the other two candidates.

We will need a highly intelligent President in 2009. Someone like Barack Obama.

If you want en

[iceman_1960]

"If you want en"

That was just padding in my post, to confuse spies and double agents.

(cf. "Turkey trots to water" in WW2)

[baghdadshere]

"We will need an experienced president like McCain."
- Baghdadshere

Then persuade Jimmy Carter to run.

McCain has never been president before.

He"s just a Senator, like the other two candidates.

We will need a highly intelligent President in 2009. Someone like Barack Obama.

If you want en

Posted by Iceman_1960 at 09:39 PM : Mar 09, 2008
+ report abuse

CLINTON/OSAMA

What a wonderful place America would be. Gayss will be dancing in the streets. Men will be allowed to marry another men.Women will be allowed to marry another women and even raise children.

Crack&marijuana will be sold freely in the streets.

Even the cockroaches living in Palestine will be cheering.

al-qaeda, Ahmadinejad, Bashir a-Assad, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH,ETC,ETC will be cheering
a CLINTON/OSAMA ticket.

[candide777]

McSame Looks Ahead To More Of The McSame!

[joyous88]

this criminal is looking ahead to a prison term,

I hope he has to share his cell with bush